


Old Rites

by OnceInABlueMoon



Category: Supernatural
Genre: 1x11, Angst, Blood, Coda to Scarecrow, Emily thinks Sam and Dean are together, Gen, Mentions of Violence, Minor Character Death, Other, Scarecrow - Freeform, a background death really, but theyre not, it's kind of vague to be honest, outsider pov, tree burning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-18
Updated: 2017-01-18
Packaged: 2018-09-18 11:31:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9383129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnceInABlueMoon/pseuds/OnceInABlueMoon
Summary: “You know the whole town is going to die.” Dean says. There’s a ring of purple around one of his eyes from where the sheriff knocked him out with the butt of his gun. Light from sunrise filters in from the surrounding trees painting the leaf covered ground in dapples of gold. In his calloused hand's the branch he’d plucked up and lit with his lighter is just beginning to burn hot.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I was rewatching Scarecrow and got inspired! Let me know in the comments below if you liked it!  
> Also, I couldn't find Emily's last name, so I assumed that she took the last name as they people she stayed with!

“You know the whole town is going to die.” Dean says. There’s a ring of purple around one of his eyes from where the sheriff knocked him out with the butt of his gun. Light from sunrise filters in from the surrounding trees painting the leaf covered ground in dapples of gold. In his calloused hand's the branch he’d plucked up and lit with his lighter is just beginning to burn hot. 

Emily says nothing remembering for a moment how she used to come out here during the spring when she was younger. She’d bring her books and a plastic knife and pluck some ripe fruit from the branches, eating apples until her stomach was full and aching. Before the town took her in, before she settled with her new family, the orchard used to be her home. 

“Good.” She says before she takes the smoldering branch from his hand and lights the sacred tree on fire. 

Behind them Sam is a silent, towering, figure where he stands tall, fox-like eyes watchful of the trees surrounding them. 

...

The affect burning the tree has is obvious right away. As they ride back into town, the lush green which once flanked the road on either side is curling limp and brown before her eyes, the death spreading it’s vine-like fingers and sucking the color from the leaves. The curves of the road are harsh and rocky where they used to be gentle and smooth and when the three of them get into the main part of town and pass they house where Emily used to get tutored by an Old Man Brown, she sees Old Man Brown’s wife wailing, her husband dead in his rocking chair. 

Dean parks the car in front of the house but Sam follows her inside. She takes a long hot shower, rinsing the dirt and grit from her skin and hair and then packs a bag, quick and efficient. At one point in her life she was used to bouncing around, the skills needed do deal with it never really left. 

“You sure you’re going to be all right?” Sam asks floppy bangs hanging into his eyes. He’s sweet, gentle. There’s something about his gentle-giant routine that balances out Dean’s roguishness nicely. But then she thinks about how he prowled about the woods, long legs eating up space and maybe the gentle-giant routine is just that, a routine. 

Emily looks around and stares at the painted walls of her room, stares at the colorful, pastel, framed posters hanging above her bed, stares at the soccer team trophies and college graduation certificate. She stares, but it feels like she’s someone else, it feels like an out of body experience. _Maybe it's the shock_ she thinks but doesn't really linger on that explanation. 

She pulls her favorite sweater out from her closet, slips her laptop and charger in her bag and makes a mental note to clean out the safe downstairs before she leaves. 

For a moment, she jealous of Sam, jealous of Dean, their life might be crazy but at least they have each other. 

Emily breathes deeply through her nose before replying. 

“I’ll be fine." 

...

The drive her to the bus station and Emily buys a ticket for Boston. The boys wait with her, flanking her on either side inside the bus station. The don’t speak unless spoken to, but the way the share looks, the way they're so comfortable with eachother without trying, it reminds Emily of how Dean had joyously called out _"That’s my boy!"_ in the orchard and Emily wonders if they're more than just friends. 

She thinks about how she’d clung to Dean when the scarecrow attacked, how he’d bent his body around hers protectively. Like it was instinct like he was used to protecting a smaller body with his own. 

She doesn’t know what to think. 

“Bus 504 to Boston, Bus 504 to Boston about to depart.” 

Emily stands and the boys follow her to see her off the bus. 

“Thanks.” She says and means it. Can’t help but laugh at the skeptical expression on both their faces. 

“I mean it.” Emily says again, she touches Dean’s arm, smiles at Sam “Thank you.” 

“We woke you up to a nightmare.” Dean says brows creased green eyes bright despite the muggy sky that’s filtering in through the windows. 

“I'd rather be awake in a nightmare then asleep in a lie. Really, thank you.” 

They walk her to the bus, and she waves to them in goodbye just as it pulls away. Settling in her seat, she gets comfortable, puts in her earbuds and tries to sleep. 

When she does, she dreams of burning trees.

**Author's Note:**

> Come be my friend on Tumblr here: http://thetardismademedoit.tumblr.com/


End file.
